Cupcake Boy: 3-Year-Old Argues for Sweet Dinner Substitute (Video)

"Cupcake boy" Mateo Beltran has become a viral sensation after a video featuring the determined 3-year-old pleading with his mother, whom he calls by her first name, to allow him to substitute cupcakes for dinner received some two million views on YouTube.

In the two-and-half minute clip, a persistent Mateo begs for cupcakes after attempting to get the sugary treat from his grandmother, behind his mother's back.

"Linda, Linda, listen to me a," an unrelenting Mateo repeatedly says to his mother in the video. At one point, Mateo appears to realize he's failing to convince her and resorts to sweet talk to get his way, telling his mother, "Linda, honey, honey, lookit, look at this."

Keeping a straight face, the boy's mother at one point threatens to spank both him and his brother for going to their grandmother behind her back, to which little Mateo responds, "But he's my little Pa-Paps!"

According to his mother, Mateo began referring to his parents by their first names after the family came across a lost boy in a theme park who did not know his parent's names. The parents subsequently told their kids their first names just in case they ever found themselves in a similar predicament, the Daily Mail reported.

"For the most part we are still Mommy and Daddy, but when he is serious and wants to make sure we are paying attention, we quickly become Linda and Kenneth," Linda Beltran told the UberConference blog.

According to the mother, Mateo isn’t being disrespectful when he refers to her by her first name and generally only uses it during a debate. Knowing his parents first names "made Mateo feel a little empowered."

"The boys know when mom is serious and when they can engage in some healthy debate," Linda added. "In an effort to raise my kids with a voice, I pick my battles and sometimes let them feel like they’ve won... or at least give them the chance to try!"

"Cupcake boy" Mateo Beltran has become a viral sensation after a video featuring the determined 3-year-old pleading with his mother, whom he calls by her first name, to allow him to substitute cupcakes for dinner received some two million views on YouTube.